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☆ Netanyahu’s Growing Rift With Israel’s Military Raises Questions About Gaza War’s Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Growing divisions between Israel’s military commanders and the civilian government over the war in Gaza spilled into the open this week, raising questions about how Israel will conduct the next phase of the war. “If we do not bring something else to Gaza, at the end of the day, we will get Hamas,” he said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 13. But in order to reach a situation in which we really weaken Hamas, that is the path.”Admiral Hagari also appeared to criticize Mr. Netanyahu’s oft-repeated call for “absolute victory” over the Palestinian armed group. “The idea that it is possible to destroy Hamas, to make Hamas vanish — that is throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” he said. That prompted a swift rejoinder from Mr. Netanyahu’s office, which said that the Israeli cabinet had set “the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities” as one of the war’s aims, and that the Israeli military was “of course committed to this.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ’, Daniel Hagari, ”, Hagari, Mr, Netanyahu’s Organizations: Israel’s, Palestinian Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Israeli military official says Hamas cannot be destroyed, as rift with Netanyahu widens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Christian Edwards | Tamar Michaelis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hagari’s comments prompted a terse response from Netanyahu’s office, which said Israel’s security cabinet “has defined the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities” as one of the aims of its war in Gaza. Palestinians inspect damage after an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, June 9, 2024. Shaul Golan/Pool/ReutersHagari’s comments sparked the latest in a growing series of public disagreements between Israel’s government and military. Last weekend, the IDF announced a daily “tactical pause” of military activity along a route in southern Gaza to allow aid to be distributed – a decision that rankled Netanyahu, an Israeli official told CNN. The IDF’s decision to implement tactical pauses also drew fierce criticism from the increasingly rancorous far-right wing of Netanyahu’s coalition.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Read, Daniel Hagari, Hagari’s, Hagari, Netanyahu, Eyad Baba, ” Hagari, David Mencer, ’, Mencer, Netanayhu, –, Shaul Golan, rankled Netanyahu, Itamar Ben, Gvir, ”, Yoav Gallant Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s, IDF, Getty, Kan, National, Israeli Locations: Gaza, United States, Israel, AFP, Hamas, Givatayim, Rafah

☆ Bipartisan congressional delegation will travel to Israel ahead of Netanyahu address to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Katrina Samaan | Michelle Shen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer will lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to Israel this week, a notable show of support as a sizable number of Democrats say they are considering boycotting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress next month. The congressional delegation will also discuss the ongoing efforts to secure a temporary ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. While Congress passed a bill with aid to Ukraine and Israel in April, Democrats remain divided over Israel’s handling of its war against Hamas. CNN has spoken to dozens of Democratic lawmakers who have said they are considering boycotting Netanyahu’s speech, with several already publicly announcing their plans to not attend. “Because America’s relationship with Israel is ironclad and transcends one person or prime minister, I joined the request for him to speak,” he said earlier this month.

Persons: Steny Hoyer, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, “, ” Hoyer, ”, Joe Biden, It’s, Netanyahu, Biden, Barack Obama, Ro Khanna, I’m, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Jim Clyburn, Chuck Schumer, CNN’s Haley Talbot Organizations: CNN — Democratic, Nine, Hamas, White, CNN, Democratic, ”, New York Democrat Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Washington, California

☆ Israeli Daytime Pause in Combat Appears to Take Hold in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Shashank Bengali | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The change did not mean a cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, that statement said, adding that the campaign in the southernmost city of Rafah was continuing. The whipsaw statements appeared to reflect the competing pressures facing Mr. Netanyahu, as he juggles demands from the Biden administration and elsewhere around the globe with those of his own hawkish government. But Mr. Netanyahu insinuated that he did not learn of the plans until Sunday morning. Image Children waiting for food in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. At least 10 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat this weekend and an 11th died of wounds sustained days earlier.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, —, Khan Younis, Haitham Imad, Bibi, ”, Amos Harel, ” Mr, Harel, Shani Sasson, Ms, Sasson, “, Eid, Omar Al, Yoav Gallant, Gadi, Benny Gantz, Mr, Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Ben, Waseem Mahmoud, Amir Levy, Bezalel Smotrich, Gabby Sobelman Organizations: Military, ., “, Mr, Cogat, United Nations Security Council, Agence France, International Criminal, Israel’s, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Khan, Israel, Gaza City, The Hague, Egypt, Beit Jann

☆ Middle East Crisis Israeli Military Says Hezbollah’s Strikes Risk ‘Wider Escalation’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Mike Ives | Randy Pennell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The change did not mean a cessation of fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, that statement said, adding that the campaign in the southernmost city of Rafah was continuing. The whipsaw statements appeared to reflect the competing pressures facing Mr. Netanyahu, as he juggles demands from the Biden administration and elsewhere around the globe with those of his own hawkish government. But Mr. Netanyahu insinuated that he did not learn of the plans until Sunday morning. Image Children waiting for food in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. Credit... Haitham Imad/EPA, via Shutterstock“It’s classic Bibi,” said Amos Harel, the military affairs analyst for the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, referring to Mr. Netanyahu by his nickname.

☆ Middle East Crisis U.S. Says It Is Trying to Bridge Gaps on Gaza Truce
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Erica L. Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

But after more than eight months of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas still appear to be far apart on an agreement. On Tuesday, Hamas issued a formal response to the cease-fire proposal to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, which officials in the Palestinian armed group said included some amendments. In the second phase, both sides would declare a permanent cease-fire, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, and more hostage-for-prisoner exchanges would take place. Mr. Biden described the proposal as an Israeli initiative, and Israeli officials confirmed it was approved by the country’s top leadership. Asked about the ambiguous Israeli public stance, Mr. Sullivan said he could confirm that Israel stood behind the proposal.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Biden, Mr, Sullivan, Israel, Hamas’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Farnaz Fassihi Organizations: U.S, Hamas, United Nations Security, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Revolutionary Guard Locations: Egypt, Qatar, Israel, Gaza, Italy, Hamas, United States

☆ Analysis: Hamas gambled on the suffering of civilians in Gaza. Netanyahu played right into it
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He appeared to justify the deaths of Palestinian civilians as a “necessary sacrifice” according to the messages. In recent weeks, Ireland, Spain, Norway and Portugal, all frustrated Netanyahu won’t agree a peace deal, have formally recognized Palestinian statehood. The war Sinwar started has taken Palestinian suffering to the next level – and Netanyahu has played right into it. Sinwar’s power amid the war seems to be becoming part of the perceived wisdom about Gaza and the war. And if past experience is any measure, he will likely gamble that he can play mind games better than Netanyahu.

Persons: CNN — Yahya Sinwar, –, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sinwar, Israel, Netanyahu, hasn’t, they’d, they’ve, Biden, Netanyahu won’t, belligerence, Antony Blinken, “, Sinn Fein Organizations: CNN, Israel, Wall Street, ICC, Hamas, Democratic, Northern Locations: Israel, United States, Europe, Gaza, Palestinian, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Portugal, Rafah, Doha, Iran, Turkey

☆ New Gaza Cease-Fire Proposal Puts Spotlight on Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Rejecting the deal, Mr. Blinken said, would put Mr. Sinwar’s political interests ahead of those of civilians. Hamas could be “looking after one guy,” Mr. Blinken said, referring to Mr. Sinwar. Mr. Sinwar was an architect of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage. Mr. Blinken said on Tuesday that Mr. Netanyahu had “reaffirmed” his commitment to the plan in private talks in Jerusalem. Hamas has constructed a network of tunnels beneath Gaza to shield the group from Israeli surveillance and attack.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, Antony J, Blinken, Sinwar, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, “, Khan Younis Organizations: . Security, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, United States, Israel, Jerusalem . U.S, Khan

☆ Gantz Quits Israel Government in Dispute With Netanyahu Over Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Adam Rasgon | More About Adam Rasgon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Israeli politician Benny Gantz, a key member of the country’s war cabinet, quit the government on Sunday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza. The resignation dealt a blow to the appearance of unity that Mr. Netanyahu was able to marshal at the start of the conflict and exposed the divisions at the top of the Israeli leadership over the future of the war and its aftermath. Mr. Gantz, a centrist figure who last month threatened to resign unless Mr. Netanyahu addressed his concerns about how the war would end and what would follow it, said his party was leaving the emergency government “with a heavy but complete heart.” He said that Mr. Netanyahu’s leadership was “preventing us from advancing to the real victory.”The move is unlikely to force Mr. Netanyahu from office — the prime minister’s government will still hold a narrow majority in Israel’s Parliament. Mr. Gantz’s exit comes as frustration mounts over the failure to decisively topple Hamas or to bring home all the hostages held in Gaza after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on southern Israel. Mr. Netanyahu has also faced international criticism as the destruction and civilian casualties have mounted in Gaza.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Gantz, ”, Netanyahu’s, Mr, Gantz’s Locations: Gaza, Israel’s Parliament, Israel

☆ As His Political Alliance Breaks Up, Netanyahu Faces a Battle at Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Still fighting Israel’s outside enemies on multiple fronts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu woke up on Monday to a new political battlefield at home. The departure this weekend of Benny Gantz and his centrist National Unity party from Israel’s emergency wartime government is unlikely to immediately sever Mr. Netanyahu’s grip on power. Mr. Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, another powerful member of National Unity, also left Mr. Netanyahu’s small war cabinet. Mr. Gantz accused Mr. Netanyahu of “political procrastination,” suggesting that he had been putting off critical strategic decisions to ensure his political survival. His decision to quit the wartime government ushers in a new period of political instability and left many Israelis wondering where the country goes from here.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Gantz’s, Netanyahu, Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, Israel, Mr Organizations: National Unity Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iran, Israel’s, Lebanon

☆ Hostage rescue operation and Israeli political turmoil sharpen Biden’s damaging dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —President Joe Biden’s power to engineer a swift abatement of the war between Israel and Hamas just suffered two serious new blows. • The rescue mission also emphasizes the disparity in the death toll between Palestinians and Israelis in the conflict. • The absence of Gantz may also create an even greater obstacle to approval of any peace deal between Israel and Hamas. • The fracturing of the Israeli war cabinet and Gantz’s call for elections could have unpredictable consequences in Israel amid rising protests against Netanyahu. That is tragic.”But the national security adviser’s comments will do nothing to ease Biden’s domestic political exposure over the war.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Benny Gantz, Biden, •, estrange Biden, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Jake Sullivan, Dana Bash, Sullivan, “, Israel, ” Sullivan, “ Innocent, Mike Johnson, Sen, Tom Cotton, Cotton, ”, Biden Gantz, ” Gantz, doesn’t, Aaron David Miller, comport, ” Miller, Joe Biden, ” Biden, you’ve, ” Richard Haass, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Haass Organizations: CNN, Israel, Biden, Likud, Trump, Union, Eiffel, Republicans, Democratic National Convention, Fox News, Arkansas Republican, The New York Times, Washington Post, ” Gaza’s Ministry of Health, IDF, ” CNN, ”, Saudis, United, Palestinian Authority, Foreign Relations Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Michigan, Washington, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, France, “ State, American, Chicago, America, Netanyahu, East, United Arab Emirates

☆ Israel thrust between far-right support and Gaza cease-fire, as Netanyahu rival quits war cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Amir Levy | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesIsrael's war cabinet minister Benny Gantz resigned from the emergency government, dealing a decisive blow which is expected to entrench Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deeper into a far-right support base that opposes a cease-fire in Gaza. A former chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, centrist Gantz co-founded and led the National Unity party that joined Netanyahu's emergency government after the outbreak of the Gaza war. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Cabinet minister Benny Gantz during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. And the prime minister himself. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel, Israeli official figures say, since the start of the Gaza conflict.

Persons: Benny Gantz, Amir Levy, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz, Netanyahu, Regrettably, Yoav, Gallant, entreat Gantz, Yair Lapid, Gadi Eisenkot, Lapid, Eran Etzion, Etzion, Jack Guez, Nimrod Goren, Goren, Itamar Ben Organizations: Getty, entrench, Israeli Defense Forces, National Unity, Gaza, Palestinian, Hamas, Reuters, Defense, Criminal, Gaza's Ministry of Health, Israel's National Security Council, CNBC, Ultra, Sheba Tel, HaShomer Medical Centre, Afp, Middle East Institute, U.S, Jewish Power Party Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, Rafah, Sheba, Ramat Gan, of Israel

Palestinians mourn their relatives who were killed by an Israeli bombardment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on June 8. Ismael Abu Dayyah/APThe Israeli military rescued four hostages held in central Gaza on Saturday in a major daytime operation. The strip’s government media office said at least 210 Palestinians were killed and more than 400 injured by the Israeli bombardment as it carried out the hostage rescue operation. Over 200 Palestinians dead:At least 210 people have been killed and more than 400 injured as a result of the Israeli operation, the enclave’s government media office said. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the hostages had been locked in rooms of apartments in multistory civilian buildings.

Persons: Ismael Abu Dayyah, Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, Shlomi Ziv, Balah, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Benjamin Netanyahu, Argamani, that’s, Joe Biden, ”, Gantz postpones, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Gantz Organizations: Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, Nova, CNN, Al, Families, Sheba Hospital, Ichilov, White Locations: Al, Aqsa, Deir al, Gaza, Nuseirat, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, American, Israel

☆ Israeli Airstrike on School Kills Dozens in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

One of the most intense fires threatened homes in the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, near the Lebanese border, according to Israeli news outlets. That city, like much of the Israeli border area, has been largely evacuated for months, and no casualties were reported. The Israeli military said that two drones landed in the area of Hurfeish, a Druse village whose citizens are primarily part of an Arab-Israeli minority in Israel. No sirens sounded warning of the attack, according to the Israeli military, which said it was reviewing the incident. The talks are aimed at moving Hezbollah forces away from the border, according to Lebanese and Israeli officials, and other participants.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, ”, Matthew Miller, Biden, “, they’ve, Mr, Miller, Herzi Halevi, ” Bezalel Smotrich, Adam Rasgon, Ephrat Livni Organizations: Israel, Wednesday, Hezbollah, Hamas, State Department Locations: Lebanon, Gaza, Israel, Iranian, Lebanese, Kiryat Shmona, Hurfeish, ” Israel

Even as the Biden administration renewed its push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel threatened “very intense”military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Whoever thinks he can hurt us and we will respond by sitting on our hands is making a big mistake,” he said, according to the Israeli government. “We are prepared for very intense action in the north.”Against the backdrop of escalating tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, met on Wednesday with top Qatari and Egyptian officials in the latest effort to broker a deal to end the fighting in Gaza and free the hostages taken captive during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Mr. Burns met in Doha with the Qatari prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the chief of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, according to an official briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door encounter.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, ”, William J, Burns, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Abbas Kamel Organizations: Qatari, Egypt’s General Intelligence Service Locations: Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, ”, Doha, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

☆ Opinion | Yoav Gallant Has Shown Defiance. Will He Again?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Dahlia Scheindlin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last month, Yoav Gallant told Israelis that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was leading the nation astray. In a government known for ironclad loyalty to the prime minister, and in the heightened intensity of war, Mr. Gallant’s statement made headlines. In March 2023, Mr. Gallant became the most prominent member of the governing coalition to publicly call for a halt to Mr. Netanyahu’s attempt to undermine the judiciary, an effort that he said was harming the country’s security. When Mr. Netanyahu tried to fire him, hundreds of thousands of protesting Israelis brought the country to a standstill, and Mr. Gallant became an instant symbol of a bulwark against what the protesters viewed as an autocratic putsch. At both these moments, liberal Israelis have grasped at the possibility that Mr. Gallant could be a lifeline out of national perdition.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Gallant, ”, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Israel unrecognizably Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Biden’s Announcement Puts Netanyahu on the Spot
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

But he has been put on the spot this weekend by President Biden’s announcement outlining a proposal for a truce. Mr. Netanyahu, a conservative, has long juggled competing personal, political and national interests. Now, analysts say, it is crunch time for Mr. Netanyahu, or Bibi, as he is popularly known. Mr. Biden “booted Netanyahu out of the closet of ambiguity and presented Netanyahu’s proposal himself,” Ben Caspit, a biographer and longtime critic of Mr. Netanyahu, wrote in Sunday’s Maariv, a Hebrew daily. Instead, they were conditional and open to interpretation — seemingly designed to leave Mr. Netanyahu’s options open.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Biden’s, Mr, Netanyahu, Biden, Bibi, Biden “, ” Ben Caspit, Sunday’s, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben, Gvir, —, Netanyahu’s, Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, Ophir Falk, Falk, “, ” Organizations: American, Qatari, Mr, Hamas, National Unity, Britain’s Sunday Times Locations: Gaza, Israel, Sunday’s Maariv

☆ Netanyahu May Face a Choice Between a Truce and His Government’s Survival
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has refused to offer a timeline for ending the war against Hamas in Gaza, a stance his critics see as a political tactic. But he has been put on the spot by President Biden’s announcement outlining a proposal for a truce. Mr. Netanyahu, a conservative, has long juggled competing personal, political and national interests. One, they say, functions pragmatically in the small war cabinet he formed with some centrist rivals, to give it public legitimacy. Israeli officials confirmed that the terms matched a cease-fire proposal that had been approved by Israel’s war cabinet but not yet presented to the Israeli public.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Biden’s, Mr, Netanyahu, Biden Organizations: American, Qatari Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Israel-Gaza War: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Two Israeli officials confirmed that Mr. Biden’s proposal matched an Israeli cease-fire proposal that had been greenlit by Israel’s war cabinet. “Put your money where your mouth is.”But at home, Mr. Netanyahu faces a host of competing pressures. Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel’s parliamentary opposition, also urged Mr. Netanyahu to take the deal as outlined by Mr. Biden. He repeated that his party would back Mr. Netanyahu’s government if hard-liners like Mr. Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, left over a hostage release deal. Political analysts said Mr. Netanyahu has tried to avoid that scenario, as it would make him dependent on some of his harshest critics.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Biden’s, ” Mr, Mr, — Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Ben, ”, “ Biden, ‘, Uzi Arad, “, Cheriss, Gil Dickmann, Carmel Gat, Kibbutz, Dickmann, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Yair Lapid, Mr . Biden Organizations: Hamas, ”, Gaza Health Ministry, Palestinian, White, ., The New York Times, Kibbutz Be’eri, Mr Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv

☆ What seven more months of war would mean for Palestinians, Israelis and the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Abbas Al Lawati | Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Israel has warned that its war in Gaza could extend until the end of the year. Prolonging the war could have catastrophic consequences for Palestinians in the already ravaged territory and significant repercussions for Israel and beyond, experts said. “And currently Hamas doesn’t seem to be ready to release them.”Impact on Israel’s economyThe war hit Israel’s economy hard in the immediate aftermath of October 7. As of January, the Israeli military was spending $272 million per day on the war, according to the Israeli news site Ynet. Despite these efforts, the war persists, civilian casualties rise and famine spreads in Gaza, intensifying pressure from some of his electorate.

Persons: CNN — Israel, Tzachi Hanegbi, ”, Joe Biden, “, Assaf Orion, Juliette Touma, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Yohanan Plesner, Plesner, Israel, Malcolm Shaw, Yaron Wax, Johanna Geron, INSS, Amir Levy, Orion, Daniel Hagari, ” Plesner, Biden Organizations: CNN, National, Institute for National Security Studies, Israel Defense Forces, London School of Hygiene, Tropical Medicine, Johns Hopkins Center, Humanitarian Health, Israel, United Nations, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Israeli, Israel Democracy Institute, International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice, United, P Global, Moody’s, Service, Troops, American, West Bank Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Rafah, Europe, Palestinian, British, The Hague, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Egypt, United Arab Emirates

☆ After Biden’s Push for Truce, Netanyahu Calls Israel’s War Plans Unchanged
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In his statement, Mr. Netanyahu did not explicitly endorse or reject a proposed cease-fire plan that Mr. Biden had laid out in an unusually detailed address on Friday. Two Israeli officials confirmed that Mr. Biden’s proposal matched an Israeli cease-fire proposal that had been greenlit by Israel’s war cabinet. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations. But the timing of Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks, coming first thing the next morning, seemed to put the brakes on Mr. Biden’s hopes for a speedy resolution to the war, which has claimed the lives of more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu’s office said in the statement released on Saturday morning.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Biden’s, ” Mr Organizations: Hamas, ”, Gaza Health Ministry Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ Congressional Leaders, Divided Over War, Invite Netanyahu to Deliver Joint Address
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The top four congressional leaders formally invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Friday to address a joint meeting of Congress, in a show of bipartisan unity that masked a fraught behind-the-scenes debate over receiving him. The invitation, which set no date, came amid deep political divides in the United States over the war between Israel and Hamas, which has intensified after Israel’s recent attacks in Rafah. Speaker Mike Johnson had been pressing to issue the invitation for weeks, seeking to hug Mr. Netanyahu closer as some Democrats, particularly progressives, repudiate him and condemn his tactics in the war, which have caused tens of thousands of civilian casualties in Gaza and a humanitarian disaster for Palestinians. Republicans have unequivocally backed Mr. Netanyahu’s policies, while Democrats, many of whom view his far-right government as an impediment to peace, have been deeply split over them. On Friday, Mr. Biden called for a permanent cease-fire and said, “It’s time for this war to end.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Mike Johnson, Mr, Netanyahu, Biden, “, ” Organizations: Israel, Republicans Locations: United States, Israel, Rafah, Gaza

☆ Opinion: How is Netanyahu still in power?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

View more opinion on CNNCNN —A recent visitor to Israel told me about a conversation in which he noted that Benjamin Netanyahu is the worst prime minister in modern Israel’s history. Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel are becoming increasingly isolated internationally, though experts say this could fortify the prime minister domestically. Israel’s longest-serving prime minister had been largely successful politically, but his personal style and alleged corruption turned many Israelis against him. Are there five courageous members of Likud willing to take the necessary action to move Israel beyond Netanyahu? That is unlikely to happen, however, as long as Netanyahu remains in power.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, CNN CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ Bibi, ”, Netanyahu, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, “, Israel, Brendan Smialowski, Israel’s, pariahs, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu –, Gantz, Yoav Gallant, ” Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, CNN CNN, Frida Ghitis CNN, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Getty, West Bank, Trump, National Unity Party, Saudi Arabia ., Hamas, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Israel, Israel’s, Gaza, United States, Iranian, AFP, Washington, Iran, Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ Egypt Faces Hard Choices After Israeli Seizure of Gaza’s Southern Border
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Thomas Fuller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced plans late last year to occupy a sensitive corridor of land in the Gaza Strip, along the border with Egypt, the response from Cairo was public, explicit and ominous. Egypt said that an Israeli military presence there would violate the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries. This week, the Israeli military announced that it had seized “tactical control” of the corridor. Yet despite the Egyptian government facing domestic pressure to take a harsher stance on Israel following its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, there has been no public Egyptian comment on the seizure of the corridor. The silence may be a reflection of the dilemma Egypt finds itself in after nearly eight months of war in Gaza.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu Organizations: Israel Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Cairo, Israel, Rafah

☆ Middle East Crisis Spain, Norway and Ireland Recognize a Palestinian State, Adding to Israel’s Isolation Over War
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Spain, Norway and Ireland said on Wednesday that they would recognize an independent Palestinian state, a rebuke to Israel over its war in Gaza and its decades of occupation of Palestinian territories. More than 140 countries and the Holy See have recognized a Palestinian state, but most Western European countries and the United States have not. Israel strongly opposes international attempts to recognize a Palestinian state and maintains that Israel needs to negotiate directly with Palestinian leaders on a permanent solution. Mr. Netanyahu has said that establishing a Palestinian state would be an “existential danger” to Israel. Countries that are moving toward recognizing Palestinian statehood argue that doing so would preserve the possibility of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.

Persons: ” Jonas Gahr, Spain’s, Pedro Sánchez, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Mr, Sanchez, Simon Harris of, Netanyahu, Israel, ”, Israel Katz, ” Ziad Abu Amr, Aaron Boxerman, Henrik Pryser Libell, Adam Rasgon, Victoria Kim Organizations: Palestinian, West Bank Locations: Spain, Norway, Ireland, Israel, Gaza, Oslo, Palestine, Palestinian, United States

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